Silver and Gold
by Fayre Aiden
Summary: GSR! Two new members stir up old memories.
1. New Arrivals

**Disclaimer:** If I owned CSI or anything related to it other than the DVDs, do you really think it would've taken Sara and Grissom this long to get together? The new characters in this story are based off of myself and dear friend Alathea. Any other connection with real persons is purely coincidental. Let it be known that I came up with my penname AFTER I wrote this story.

**Spoilers:** Some here and there, but we've seen all the episodes, so it's not really spoiling, is it?

**Summary:** GSR. Two new members stir up old memories.

**A/N:** Many thanks to Kasey Clark, who has helped me through the many times I've wanted to quit; Rachel, who helps me brainstorm and edit; and Alathea Aiden, my sister in every sense of the word, who started the CSI Sisterhood and encourages me to write. Without these, I wouldn't be who I am, and none of my stories would exist.

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Chapter 1: New Arrivals

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Grissom walked into the conference room with a feeling of anticipation settling in his stomach. Once he had taken his seat at the head of the table, he looked around at the faces of his entire graveyard staff and saw his anticipation mirrored in their eyes as all chatter stopped and heads turned, awaiting an explanation.

It was very rare that Grissom ever called a staff meeting. When he did, the crew got very nervous, knowing that it had to be important. Now, nearing the beginning of shift, the team listened intently, expecting bad news, pay cuts, or layoffs. They were pleasantly surprised when he began with praise.

"Thanks for coming. First of all, I want to congratulate you all on a job well done concerning the last case. It's always hard to work a serial, but you all put forth your best efforts and that helped more than anything else. So thank you all again.

"Now, along those same lines," he continued, "because of the quick and efficient interdepartmental cooperation, we have gotten an overall shift raise..."

He paused for a moment to let the cheering and applause die down.

"… And with a heaven sent up in budget, I have the opportunity to hire two new CSIs. I wanted to give you all the heads up, as two of the many applicants should be coming in either by the end of shift tonight or the beginning of shift tomorrow. I want to test them out to see how they'll fit in. Out of every application I've looked at, these two seem the most promising."

With that, Grissom looked down to the many papers before him, handed out assignments to the five CSIs currently on his shift and promptly left the room, signaling the end of the meeting. Confused looks were share as the graveyard family slowly got up and back to their stations, chatter arising once again. All wondered the same thing: Could any newbies ever really fit into the family they'd formed?

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No sooner had Grissom sat down at his desk than a knock came on his still open door. He looked up to the familiar sight of Sara leaning on what had become her spot in his doorway.

"Grissom, can we talk?"

"Sure. Come on in," he said, nodding to a chair.

Sara closed the door behind her and stood defiantly in front of his desk, her hands on her hips.

"Grissom, do you honestly think it wise to bring two newbies onto the team?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

A moment of silence passed between them as he tried to gage her emotions. Getting nothing from her all too familiar look of stone, he tread carefully.

"First of all, for once in my life I agree with Carvallo that we need to broaden our horizons a bit. Everyone here has their specialties, but there are areas where we could use some extra help instead of bringing in other professionals. Second of all, they're not newbies. One is an anthropologist specializing in weapon identification, and the other is a former coroner who also happens to be an osteologist."

"That's not what I meant," she said with a sigh. "I was thinking more along the lines of the way they'll be treated."

"What do you mean?" Grissom asked, silently wondering why it was that she always managed to make him feel incredibly stupid, despite his overall intelligence.

"You know as well as I do that any new CSI that walks through that door will not gain an ounce of respect from this team," she stated, irritation coloring her words.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sara."

"Bullshit!" she spat. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Take a look around. Warrick is very guarded and can be downright pissy sometimes. Greg gets nervous even just around us. What will he think if just after you let him join the team, you hire two new CSIs with such extensive backgrounds in the field? Mia's the newest member here, and she's already hardened to everyone. Nick is a sweetheart, but even _he_ gives a cold shoulder to any kind of competition. Catherine is an outright bitch when she gets worked up, sometimes even just for spite. And to top it all off, the head of this lively crew is an emotionally constipated son of a-"

"Sara…" He threw her a warning stare.

"Well, you are!" She plopped into a chair and rubbed her temples, trying to recompose herself. This was not how she'd pictured this conversation.

Grissom, on the other hand, took advantage of her silence.

"Where do you fit into your team analysis?"

"I'm the outsider. I always have been. No one really likes me here, and I suspect Catherine and Warrick may even hate me at this point, what with you having me solve all their family issues and run all the internal investigations. Hell, that's the only reason you brought me here in the first place."

He sat straight up. "That's not true, Sara. I brought you here because I trusted you."

"Bullshit. You guys formed a family before I got here. I became the redheaded stepchild, and don't even try to deny it, Grissom. I've been here for five and a half years now and experienced it all firsthand."

Grissom felt like he'd been run over by a truck. "Is that what this is about? Sara, this team respects the hell out of you! We respect your dedication to your work, your intelligence, your skills-"

"But you don't respect me. That's why I wanted the leave of absence four years ago. Beats the hell out of me why I stayed. Maybe I thought you actually cared… But not any more. I'm sick of being treated like a human yo-yo, and I will not have someone else put through the same kind of torture when-"

Sara was stopped abruptly a the sound of a knock, followed shortly by a creak as the door opened and in stepped a beautiful woman about Sara's age with red wavy hair down to the middle of her back. Her high forehead wrinkled in embarrassment when she realized she'd interrupted their conversation. Whispering a hurried apology, she made to leave, but Grissom called her back.

"Please, come in. We were just finished," he said with a forced smile, willing himself to put away any remnant of emotion concerning Sara. With a shy nod and flushed cheeks, the woman stepped back into his office and closed the door behind her, accepting Grissom's outstretched hand.

Sara turned in her chair, putting her back to the woman, embarrassed but intrigued. There was something strikingly familiar about the woman, but she couldn't place it. She listened intently as introductions were made.

"I'm Gil Grissom. I'll be your supervisor on graveyard. You must be CSI Ayden."

"Aye," the woman replied in a thick Irish accent. "I must say, I'm looking forward to working with you and your team. You've been hailed as the best in the country."

Sara wheeled around in her seat, instant recognition dawning as the woman' rich tones filled the room with a warmth that she hadn't felt in years.

"Fayre?" she ventured, a smile creeping from her eyes to her lips.

At the sound of Sara's voice, the woman turned, her brows knit in confusion, as she didn't remember anyone mentioning her given name before now. Slowly her eyes widened and a smile spread over her freckled features as she set her kit and purse on the floor.

"Sara? Is that you?"

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!" Sara bounded from her chair and the two women embraced for the first time in ages.

Grissom watched in utter bewilderment as they started chattering and giggling like schoolgirls. This was definitely a side of Sara he hadn't seen in years. So used to her seriousness and acid tones lately, he once again realized how much he missed the old Sara, asking himself when she had changed. Hearing another round of giggles, he fought his way back to the present.

"You two know each other?" he asked, hoping for an explanation.

"Yes."

"Aye."

He looked between the two, starting to wonder where one ended and the other began.

"Grissom, this is Fayre Rose Ayden, one of my buddies from Harvard. We lived in the same dorm and studied forensics together. She graduated top of the class."

Fayre's otherwise pale complexion flushed with color as she smiled at her old friend. "Well, I wasn't up there alone. Sara was just behind me. We had quite a time of it, always battling for the top. But it worked out for both of us, I see."

"Have you found a place to stay yet?" Sara asked, turning the conversation away from herself. "I happen to know that my apartment building has a few openings."

"Oh, that would be great! Just like old times. Sorority sisters once again!"

"Ah, the memories…" Sara sighed, suppressing a smile.

"You used to be in a sorority?" Grissom asked with a raised eyebrow.

"God, no! Are you joking? We used to make fun of those frat sluts!" Fayre crinkled her nose at the thought, bringing a bout of laughter from Sara.

"Some things will never change! Come on; let's get out of here. Shift ended six minutes ago, and we have some serious catching up to do."

With that, Sara took her friend by the arm and led her out of the building, leaving Grissom alone to wonder what the hell had just happened.

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A few hours later, the two could be seen strolling along the Strip in all its daytime glitz and glamour. Arms full of shopping bags, they headed to one of Sara's favorite dives: a small bar on the edge of the Strip known for its privacy, among other things. Sitting at one of the small tables along the wall, they chose their poisons and reminisced of better days.

"I still can't believe you're here," Sara laughed, as she took a swallow from her third long neck bottle of the morning and started picking at the label.

"I needed a change," shrugged Fayre, taking a sip from her own mug. "I traded the swamps for the sands."

"Well, I'd definitely say that's a change! I knew you'd gone to Louisiana after graduation, but I haven't heard much from you since."

"Aye. I got the coroner position there within the week. Worked as the chief Medical Examiner for eight years. At this point, there's nothing I haven't seen."

"I don't know… What about a scuba diver up a tree?"

"I have to admit, that's interesting, but I think I can top that. Try a Chinese dental torture victim floating in the bayous."

Sara winced. "Okay, you win. But I think you'll still find Vegas a challenge."

A wicked smile crossed her friend's face. "Well, you know how I love a good challenge…" Taking another gulp and raising her tankard for a refill, she continued. "So what about you? What have you been up to? What brought you here?"

"I've been here going on six years," Sara sighed. "Grissom asked me to come in from San Francisco to handle an internal investigation after a CSI was murdered at a scene. I mistakenly thought he called me in because he trusted me… I was naïve. But I was excited. I was going to work with my long lost mentor and crush… And, no doubt about it, we flirted mercilessly for the first year or so. Then – I'm not exactly sure when – something changed. He started avoiding me completely, no contact except when he 'needed' me." She marked her words with air quotations. "I'm the human yo-yo, and no one seems to care."

"Sounds like your taste in men hasn't changed much, Sara," came a voice from behind them.

They both turned to see a slender woman dressed in black walking toward them, her shoulder-length auburn hair curled in to accentuate her almond-shaped eyes.

"No fucking way! Aidia?" Sara cried as both she and Fayre jumped from their chairs to embrace their old friend.

"Yeah, it's me! Livin' it up in Vegas… Well, for a while at least," she smiled. Her amber eyes sparkled, the golden flecks shining bright as she looked into the faces that held old secrets. "You're just as I remember you. Both as gorgeous as ever, looking so cute sitting with your heads so close together, whispering conspiratorially… Although I must say, the beer is a new touch for you, Fayre."

The Irishwoman shrugged as the three of them sat, Aidia pulling up a chair from another table. "It's hard to stay completely sober when you've seen as much as I have. Being a coroner, you rarely see the spark of life in people. Sometimes a drink or two can bring it back."

The others nodded in understanding.

"I know what you mean," Aidia sighed. "L.A.'s been great, but a body stuffed in a tar pit isn't always an uplifting sight. How's New Orleans been treating you for the past few years?"

Again, Fayre shrugged. "It's been hard. After the switch to CSI, I couldn't focus. Too many memories… I thought, maybe a change..."

Her hazel eyes shifted to the misty green that warned she was close to tears. Sensing that she didn't want to talk about it, Aidia looked to Sara.

"I think we'd better get our little leprechaun home. She's not looking so good."

Fayre snorted. "No Irish jokes. Not now, Aidia. Let's get out of here and talk somewhere that isn't spinning."

"Hey, it's all good. Let's pick up your bags and get you out to the car. I'll follow you guys wherever you're going," she smiled.

"My apartment," Sara said, taking Fayre by the arm and leaving enough money on the table to cover the drinks and a generous tip. "It's not far."


	2. Introductions

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Chapter 2: Introductions

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At the start of shift that night, Catherine, Nick, and Warrick sat at the break room table awaiting assignments and the arrival of the new CSIs. Not knowing who they were or anything about them was irritating, yet intriguing, not to mention frightening. They all vividly remembered what had happened the last time someone new had joined their team, and the last thing any of them wanted was a repeat of the Holly Gribbs fiasco.

"I wonder what they'll be like," Nick mused, a far away look in his eye.

"Twenty bucks says they're both girls," Warrick said with a smile, wondering whether Nick would be stupid enough to take the bet.

"You're on," came the response.

Catherine shook her head. 'Boys will be boys,' she thought. 'Too bad.'

"Hello? Cath!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see them staring at her.

"Sorry… What were you saying?" she asked apologetically.

"We asked what you thought about the newbies," Nick repeated himself.

She hesitated before answering. "I don't really know. I'm not sure I'm okay with it. I mean, we're all so close. We all know each other – well, except for Grissom and Sara. No one will ever really know them, but it would be really weird to bring someone new in… I guess it's kind of a double-edged sword."

"Nothing like being brutally honest, Catherine. Thanks."

She turned to see Grissom standing right behind her. She snapped back to the boys with a death stare as if to say, 'Why didn't you tell me he was there?' while muttering a "You're welcome."

"Hey Griss, have the newbies come in yet?" Warrick asked, hoping to deflect Catherine's glare away from him as Grissom took a seat.

"First of all, as I told Sara, they aren't newbies. CSIs Ayden and Dacien-Bassrides have extensive backgrounds in their respective fields and will help fill in some of the gaps around here. But, yes, I have met one of them and-"

He was stopped when voices came from down the hall, followed by Sara's laughter. Sharing raised eyebrows, the four watched as Sara glided into the room with two women at her side, all laughing hysterically but calming down once they seemed to realize that someone else was in the room.

"Hey guys!" Sara said brightly, flashing the "Sara smile" they hadn't seen in ages.

"Hello Sara… Who are your friends?" Warrick asked, sitting up in his chair.

"These are a few of my old Harvard buddies. We used to share a dorm… and a few other mutual interests. We all studies forensics together."

"You know, Vegas isn't all that different from our side of Boston," said the woman to Sara's right, catching Nicks eye and smiling darkly.

"Uh, correction Aidia," said the other stranger; the gentle rolling of her R's intriguing the crew. "Vegas isn't all the different from _your_ side of Boston. I never participated in that particular hobby."

"Well, unlike _some_ people, I had to work my way through college… Just because I enjoyed it…"

"Come on, girls. Don't embarrass yourselves," Sara laughed. Pointing at the sinister one, she addressed the crew. "Guys, this is Aidia. Don't let her dark side fool you; she's really quite a sweetheart when she wants to be."

"What about the other one? Does she have a dark side?" Nick asked, drawing a few chuckles from the others.

The woman smiled. "Unless you count being a coroner for eight years, you wish," she said, running a hand through her long red waves. "I'm Fayre, by the way."

"More than fair…" Warrick mumbled, obviously not realizing he had spoken out loud. Laughter from Nick and a raised eyebrow from Grissom caused him to look quickly up at Fayre in alarm. Seeing her suppress a giggle, he lowered his eyes and blushed.

Sensing it was time for formal introductions, Grissom cleared his throat.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet our new CSIs, Fayre Ayden and Aidia Dacien-Bassrides. They'll be working with us on the next few cases."

Glancing around the room, the team's shock was apparent. Catherine's snicker caught in her throat, turning into a sputter as she reached for the water bottle in front of her. Nick's smile faded, and Warrick groaned, blushing even deeper. The three at the door simply smiled at one another.

"Have a seat, ladies, and we'll start assignments," Grissom said, unsuccessfully hiding a smile of his own. Once they were seated, he continued. "Aidia, I'm pairing you with Catherine. 419 out on Tropicana. Warrick and Sara, you have a 419 at the Four Aces."

" 'Young African-American female caught in the elevator cables.' Sounds like fun," Sara groaned.

"Better get going," warned Grissom. "If the press gets wind of this, it's bad news for all of us."

As the two teams went on their way, Grissom turned to Nick and Fayre. "Nick, you're going out solo. B&E out in Summerlin. Fayre, you're with me. I need a favor."

Getting up, he headed out the door.

Fayre leaned over to Nick before skittering after her new boss.

"Be careful with Aidia," she whispered facetiously. "She's a spitfire."

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Later that night, Aidia walked into the morgue a few minutes ahead of her 419, only to find Fayre working on Warrick's. He was smiling and listening intently to every word of her report on the body. Aidia slipped into the shadows and watched for a few moments, grinning at this flirtatious side of Fayre that she hadn't seen since college. When Warrick left, she inched her way out of the darkness, startling Fayre when she turned around.

"God, Aidia! Don't do that! You scared me out of my wits!"

"Found a new suitor, have we?"

"NO! … Well, maybe."

"Details!" Aidia shrieked.

"It's nothing, really," Fayre shook her head. "He came in here with the expression of a weary one. It was a difficult case for him. He knew the vic, a lass from his old neighborhood… I was only trying to perk him up a bit."

"Uh-huh…"

"He is cute, though."

Aidia giggled. "That's what I thought. Now answer me this: What the hell are you doing in here?"

Fayre smiled sarcastically at her old friend. "Dr. Robbins is out on a family emergency and David, the assistant coroner, has the flu. Mr. Grissom asked me to fill in for tonight."

"Rough… How ya holdin' up?"

"Alright, considering the circumstances."

"Well," Aidia sighed. "Are you ready for another one? 'Cause here comes my 419."

Just then, the doors swung open as a gurney was rolled in and a body under a white sheet was lifted onto the autopsy table. Fayre eyed Aidia questioningly.

"Dead stripper," came the answer.

"Oh, Aidia…"

"Hey, it's alright." She shrugged it off. "He didn't know. For what it's worth, Catherine didn't seem too happy about it either… I didn't see the body, so I don't know what's under there. I worked the perimeter."

"Okay, well let's see what we have then."

With that Fayre stripped the white sheet away from the body, only to jump back in a mixture of fear and panic.

"Fayre?" Aidia looked back at the body to see a young redheaded woman who had obviously been strangled with a thick kind of rope. Suddenly she understood her friend's reaction. "Fayre, it's okay!" she cried, running to her friend, who was now backed up against the counter, her breathing quick and shallow.

"Somebody help!" Aidia screamed, helping Fayre to the floor to calm her and keep her from collapsing. "Fayre, clam down…"

Warrick burst in, rushing to their side.

"What happened? Is she okay?" he asked, looking on as Fayre came close to hyperventilating.

"Get Sara, now! Fayre's having a panic attack!"

He got out his cell phone and accessed his speed dial, reaching Sara within seconds and explaining the situation in hurried tones. Another few seconds and the phone was back on his hip.

"She's coming. She was in the fingerprint lab…" He stopped when he realized that Aidia wasn't listening, still trying to calm the young redhead.

"It's okay, Fayre. It's alright. That's not Gwynneth, it's just a dead dancer…"

Warrick reached into a nearby kit and pulled out a paper evidence bag.

"Here," he offered. "It'll help her breathing, and bring down her heart rate."

"Thanks." Aidia snatched the bag and brought it to Fayre's face, forcing her to breathe deeply as Sara rushed in.

"Fayre, honey, what happened?"

Aidia pulled Warrick back so that Sara could talk to the Irishwoman. Both followed Fayre's gaze as she pointed to the body on the table. Her breathing had slowed now, and when Sara sat by her side in understanding, her gasps for air dissolved into sobs.

"Come on, Warrick. This isn't our place anymore," Aidia said, pulling him away and out of the room.

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	3. Attacks and Apologies

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Chapter 3: Attacks and Apologies

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They walked down the hall in silence, Warrick glancing occasionally at Aidia, who seemed lost in thought. He led her to the break room and poured her a cup of the sludge that HQ called coffee. Setting it before her as they took a seat at the table, he waited, letting her speak in her own time. He watched as she took a sip, seemingly unaware of how disgusting it must have been.

A few minutes later, realizing that he was still there, Aidia looked up and smiled weakly. "Thanks," she managed. "I didn't know what to do in there… I mean, I knew what was wrong, but when I saw her freak out like that… I forgot everything."

"Hey, it's alright. That's normal, especially when it's someone you really care about," he said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I just haven't seen her have a panic attack like that in a long time. Granted, I've been in L.A. and she's been in New Orleans, but…"

"When was the last time? … If you don't mind me asking, that is."

She hesitated. "Just don't go spreading it around. She'll tell everyone in her own time, but…"

Warrick put one hand over his heart, and made a scout's honor with the other.

Aidia smiled. "All right. After graduation, Fayre went down to New Orleans to be near her twin sister."

"Gwynneth?" he ventured, remembering what Aidia had said to calm her friend.

"Yeah. They were really close. They came over from Ireland together for college. Fayre may have gotten the academic scholarship for Harvard, but Gwynneth didn't make it. She had to work a little harder to go to school in Baton Rouge. She crossed the river everyday. When Fayre finished school, she left Boston almost immediately and ended up getting the coroner position in New Orleans within the week, all so she could be with Gwyn." Aidia smiled at the memories of them together. "They couldn't stand to be apart."

"Wow… they were close."

Aidia nodded, as her smile began to fade, the sparkle gone from her eyes.

"Three years ago, when Fayre was still a coroner, she stayed late one night when a body was called in at the end of shift. Young Caucasian female strangled with the drape cords in her home, supposedly by her boyfriend. Not entirely uncommon, so no big deal… Until she pulled back the sheet."

"Oh man," Warrick sighed as he fell back in his chair, closing his eyes. "That's rough."

A single tear trailed down Aidia's cheek as she continued. "When she saw Gwyn, she lost it. No one was in the room with her, so no one was around when she freaked. They found her passed out on the floor, probably from the hyperventilation…" Playing with the little straw in her coffee cup, Aidia took a deep breath. "She was a mess after that. She quit her job; she wouldn't talk to anyone there. She couldn't stand to be reminded of anything regarding her sister… until she had to claim the body. That's when she called us… Our first reunion after Harvard and we had to spend it burying our best friend's sister…"

Her voice cracked and another tear fell. Warrick got up and grabbed the box of tissues from the counter. Setting them before her, he sat back down and waited as she tried to recompose herself enough to continue.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

When she nodded, he put on a small smile to let her know he was listening.

"Sara and I flew down together so she would at least have someone there with her. We stayed for three weeks. Then after the funeral, we had to convince Fayre to go back to work. They were holding her position for her, but she didn't want any part of it. She practically kicked us out.

"About a month later, we got word that she'd finally gone back to work, but had transferred to a CSI level three, and she'd taken her sister's case… Ended up catching the bastard, too. Since then, we've all gotten the occasional phone call or email from each other, but no visits."

"Being a CSI definitely keeps you on your toes," Warrick sighed. "I can't tell you how many double, even triple shifts we've had to pull around here, just to solve a case. Man, coming here had to be hard for her…"

"You have no idea," Aidia sniffled. "Gwynneth was killed exactly three years ago today, and I don't know how close you looked at the body in there, but that woman looked just like Gwyn."

At that moment, Sara walked in with Fayre. Aidia jumped from her chair and ran to her friend to embrace her for what seemed like an eternity. Warrick walked over to Sara.

"I gotta go take care of something, and then I'm gonna go check on our elevator lady… I'll be around."

Sara nodded. "I'll be there in a while. Leave me something to work with."

Warrick smiled and left the three friends some privacy, closing the break room door behind him.

----- ----- -----

Grissom sat in his office, working on paperwork with his classical music blaring behind him. He checked his watch, wondering if now would be a good time to see how Fayre and Aidia were progressing. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when Warrick burst in and slammed the door behind him. He sat down in one of the chairs facing Grissom's desk, saving his explosion for after Grissom turned off his music and turned to face him.

"What's wrong, Warrick?"

"Did you even bother to look into Fayre and Aidia's backgrounds before bringing them in here?" he asked, unable or unwilling to quell the anger burning in his chest.

"Yes, I did," Grissom answered in a slightly defensive tone. "Are you unhappy with my choices?"

"I'm talking about their personal backgrounds."

"No, I didn't. It doesn't matter to me what people choose to do outside of CSI time. We've had this discussion before, Warrick."

"Would it matter to you if what went on in their personal lives had an affect on how they did their job?" he spat.

"Of course, but-"

"Fayre had a panic attack tonight, Griss. She damn near passed out in the morgue."

Grissom snapped upright in his chair. "Is she alright?" she asked, a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, she is. Thank God Aidia was in there with her. Look, I swore I wouldn't say anything about why, but I suggest you get to know our employees better so something like this doesn't happen again."

With that, Warrick got up and left Grissom to his thoughts, wrenching the door open and heading for the lab.

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The next night after assignments were over, the team got up to continue working on their respective cases, Fayre having been reassigned to work with Warrick and Sara. They were stopped at the door when Grissom called them back.

"Wait," he said. "I have something I want to say."

Looking at each other in confusion, they once again took their seats and gave Grissom their full attention.

"I want to apologize to Fayre… I put her in a difficult position yesterday and I want her to know that there was no harm intended. To make sure that nothing like that happens again, I need to talk to each of you at some point today."

"You told!"

All eyes turned to Aidia as she glared so hard at Warrick that they were glad looks couldn't kill.

"I didn't-" he started.

"You swore you wouldn't say anything! I can't believe I trusted you!"

She got up from her chair so fast it fell over as she stormed from the room.

"Aidia, wait!"

But she was gone.

"Meeting adjourned," Grissom called as he hurried after her.

The rest of the team looked at Warrick, but seeing that he wasn't in the mood to talk about it, they quietly got up and left the room. Fayre, however, stayed behind.

"Warrick?" she ventured, moving to the chair next to him. When he didn't answer, she continued. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday in the morgue… I kind of freaked out when I saw the lass on the table. I thought…"

"I know what you thought," he said, finally meeting her gaze. "Aidia told me what happened. I'm sorry about Gwynneth."

Fayre's head dropped. "Is that what she was yelling about?"

Warrick nodded. "She said you'd tell everyone in your own time, but I kind of pushed her. I was worried about you… But I swear I didn't say a word about why you panicked."

She looked up questioningly. "You didn't?"

He shook his head.

"Then how-?"

"I yelled at him for putting you in that position, for not checking your background first. I told him to get to know his employees better so it wouldn't happen again, which is probably why he wants to talk to everyone."

She chuckled. "A little brazen, don't you think?"

"Nah," he smirked. "You're not really one of us till you've yelled at him at least once. Sometimes I think it takes a little shock to get things to sink in with him, you know?"

"Aye. My sister was like that, and I must admit, soam I at times."

"No! I never would've guessed. An Irishwoman, stubborn?" Warrick pretended to be shocked.

"Aye. We Irish are known for our temperaments," she smiled, and looked down. When he lifted her chin to look into her eyes, they had turned serious once again.

"Thanks again, Warrick."

She leaned in and quickly kissed him on the cheek, lingering just long enough to whisper, "I believe you," before turning and leaving the room.

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**A/N: **_Please review! I wrote this story about a year ago, butI never showed it to anyone... I need to know what you think! Especially you, Alathea. _:-)


	4. Revelations Shared

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Chapter 4: Revelations Shared

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"Catherine?"

Glancing up from her work, she saw Grissom standing in the nearby doorway to the layout room looking completely helpless. She raised an eyebrow rather than directly answer him.

"Will you please talk to Aidia? She won't tell me what's wrong and she's barricaded herself in the women's bathroom."

Catherine looked down and went back to sorting through her evidence. "Did you ever think that maybe there's a reason why she won't tell you what's wrong?" she asked, shaking her head.

"I don't know. That's kinda why I wanted to talk to her. She burst out at Warrick in front of everyone about some conversation they've had regarding Fayre and it's obviously affecting the rest of the team."

"So why don't you talk to her about it?"

"Because she ran away from me, Catherine! I'm worried about her. I'm worried about everyone for that matter. There's obviously something going on and it's pulling everyone away from their work, especially Sara. Come on, Catherine, you're supposed to be my friend."

"Don't you _dare_ pull the guilt card out on me, Grissom," she warned. "I _am_ your friend… So what?"

"So help me out here."

Catherine sighed. "Let me get this straight. You want me to once again bail you out of a potentially embarrassing situation so you can sit back, say it's been taken care of, and save yourself the trouble of showing someone that you actually do care about them, whether romantically or otherwise… Is that about it?"

Getting nothing but a clueless look in response, she shrugged and walked to the door.

"Hey, why not? At least this time it's not Sara."

With that, she pushed past him and made her way down the hall, wondering if he tried to be an emotionally challenged asshole or if it was just a God-given gift.

Coming to the ladies room, she opened the door to see Aidia leaning over the sink, having just splashed her face with water.

"Hey."

Aidia turned, apparently not having heard anyone else come in.

"Hey," she said, turning back to the sink to dry her face with a paper towel.

"You all right?"

"I cannot believe I just did that!"

Assuming that she meant screaming at Warrick, Catherine shrugged. "Hey, it's alright. I know better than anyone that sometimes people just need to be verbally slapped."

'_Although physically slapped is always a bad choice either,_' she added silently, her mind wandering back to her conversation with Grissom moments before.

"Well, _that_ he deserved, but I could've at least waited till after assignments. I didn't mean to embarrass him, especially in front of Fayre. She really likes Warrick." After a moment, she seemed to realize what she'd just said and her head snapped up, her eyes wide with alarm and her hand flying to her mouth.

Catherine laughed. "Secret's safe with me. For future reference, though, if it's something private, I wouldn't share with Warrick or Greg, otherwise it won't stay secret for long."

"Thanks, but it's a little late for that. It'll probably be all over the lab by now if news travels as fast as you say." Aidia groaned. "Fayre's gonna kill me!"

Catherine's brow furrowed. "Mind if I ask why?"

"Warrick came in to help when Fayre had her panic attack-"

"Wait! Fayre had a panic attack?"

"Yeah, and when Sara came in, I pulled him out to give Fayre some privacy. He started asking what was wrong, why she freaked out. I hesitated because I figured Fayre would tell everyone when she was ready, but he looked really worried, so I made him swear not to tell anyone…"

"Look," Catherine interrupted. "If he swore he wouldn't tell, then he didn't tell. If there's one thing I know about Warrick, it's that you can always trust him to keep his word."

"Then how the hell did Grissom know what happened?" Aidia snapped.

"Maybe you should ask Warrick."

----- ----- -----

Though he'd entered with a feeling of nervous anticipation, Nick came out of Grissom's office an hour later with the sense of a burden lifted. Though he hadn't told Grissom why, he'd finally gotten it across that molestation cases bothered him. After some badgering, he'd also gotten through that the past leaves scars that can be reopened on a case, not just with him but with others as well.

Thinking that maybe things would be more pleasant around the lab, Nick walked into the layout lab to see Aidia working diligently on her case. He leaned in the doorframe, watching her sift through everything she and Catherine had brought back from the alley behind the strip club, trying to pick out what was evidence and what was garbage.

"Need some help?"

"Hi, Nick," she said without looking up. "What's up?"

"Absolutely nothing. I'm on standby, so I came to see how you were doing."

"Me, or my case?" she challenged.

Nick laughed, and came to the table, pulled on a pair of gloves, and started to help separate potential evidence.

"Your vic was strangled, right?"

"Yeah… How'd you know?"

A guilty smile crossed his face as he added and empty soda bottle to the garbage pile. "I read the report. Do we know what with?"

"Not sure yet," she answered. "We're waiting on the mold from the wound. Coroner hasn't sent it down yet, but I was there for the autopsy and it looked like a cord of some kind. Maybe a belt."

Silence settled as they sorted out items under the halogen bulbs of the lights overhead, both concentrating on their work but feeling oddly distracted. When Aidia caught Nick staring at her, she laughed and asked what exactly he was staring at.

"Nothing… It's just that you're good at your job, and I was trying to imagine you doing anything else. Somehow I just can't picture it."

"Picture what?"

"I don't know. What did you do before you were a CSI?"

She smirked. "I worked my way through college. Three nights a week, I'd travel down to the dark side of underground Boston. I used to hear the other dorm kids talk about it all the time…" she chuckled dryly. "What I didn't hear was that the dark side wasn't all it's cracked up to be."

"I thought you enjoyed it."

She eyed him questioningly.

He shrugged. "First night here, you sort of hinted at it. It sounded like you really loved it."

Aidia scoffed. "I loved the theory behind it. The glitz and the glamour… Everyone staring at you… To be someone they longed for… It didn't take me long to figure out that there is no glamour in that world. They weren't staring at me, they were staring at my tits, and I wasn't longed for, I was lusted after."

Nick looked up to see her now tossing things into piles, her frustration mounting.

"I loved the attention, but I hated what came with it. I was nothing but a piece of meat to them, but policy stated that the customer always gets what he wants…"

Nick stripped off his gloves and came to her side of the table. She was now throwing items down on the table so hard he was afraid they were going to break, her eyes burning with anger as she relived the past that haunted her. He grabbed her wrists gently but held them firm as he stood behind her. After a moment of struggle, she gave in and relaxed, finally turning into him and resting her head on his chest.

Learning in so his lips were right next to her ear, he whispered, "You deserve better than that, Aidia."

She chuckled and closed her eyes. "That's what Fayre used to say. It's funny; Sara never minded so much, but Fayre abhorred it. She always said I could do so much better. I didn't believe her, and when I said so, it set her off."

"What'd she do?"

"Well, first I got an earful. Then she told Sara and me about this seminar on forensic science and practically forced us to go. It was what she was studying, and we were both mildly interested in it, so…" She shrugged. "It's kind of ironic. All three of us ended up in the same job in the same lab all these years later and our boss is the same guy that taught the seminar that got it all started."

"You went to Grissom's seminar?"

"Yeah. We all got hooked. Coincidence?"

"Grissom always says there are no coincidences, but whether that pertains to life or just the evidence, I don't know."

Thy stood in that position for a moment longer, reflecting on the revelations shared, before Aidia looked up.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have my hands back now?"

"Oh, sorry," he mumbled, blushing slightly as he let go of her wrists and went back to his own side of the table.

The next hour was spent in silence sorting through the remainder of the pile, an occasional glance from one to the other, bringing a smile or two along the way. When they were done and were in the process of putting their gloves in evidence bags, their pagers went off.

"Grissom," Nick said.

"Doc," Aidia mumbled.

As they headed or the door and were about to go their separate ways, Aidia turned. "You know, you never answered my question from before."

"What question was that?"

"You said you were on standby so you came to see how I was doing. I asked 'Me or my case?'"

Nick laughed and started walking toward Grissom's office.

"Nick? … NICK!" Aidia called, stamping her foot and smiling while holding her place by the layout room door.

He turned at the end of the hall with a smile and called out,

"It was you."

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	5. What Friends Are For

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Chapter 5: What Friends Are For

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Nick arrived at Grissom's office at the same time as Sara.

"Did you get paged?" she asked.

"Yeah, but he's already talked to me about- never mind."

"About what, Nick?" Sara probed, giving him the evil eye.

"Nothing. Look, if you don't already know, then you're probably about to hear it for yourself. I think he's already talked to everyone else-"

Nick was interrupted when Catherine burst out of Grissom's office, nearly knocking them over.

"Sorry, guys. Case breaker page." With that she was off and down the hall, leaving Sara and Nick to stare at her back as she hurried away.

Grissom came to greet them in the doorway.

"Nick, you're being reassigned to work with Aidia and Catherine. The dead stripper case."

"YES!"

Sara and Grissom traded amused looks then glanced toward Nick, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry… I'm just… gonna go check on that," Nick said, quickly turning and taking off after Catherine.

"Come on in, Sara," Grissom said, retreating into his office, still shaking his head at Nick.

Sara entered the office and headed for a chair, but turned back when she heard Grissom close and lock the door.

"That can't be a good sign."

"We need to be able to talk without being interrupted," he explained, "and without you running away."

"Why would I run away?" she asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"You might not like the course of the discussion," he answered evasively.

"Well, tell me the course of the discussion and I'll tell you whether or not I like it."

He hesitated. "I don't know where to start."

"Also not good," she moaned. "Okay, let's make things easy. What were you talking about with the others?"

"I'm trying to get a handle on whether there's anything in their personal lives that might affect their work so what happened to Fayre doesn't happen to anything else.."

"So you want to know about my personal life… Grissom, we've had this conversation before. My personal life is none of your business." She crossed her arms as if that settled the matter.

"It is if it affects your job, Sara."

"It's not affecting my job," she argued. "I still have the highest solve rate of anyone else at the lab, on any shift for that matter."

"It's affecting your working relationships," he reasoned.

She scoffed. "_What_ relationship?"

"That's my point. Something's got you so bitter that you can't see beyond it."

"What are you, the lab psychologist now?" she spat. "You want to know what's got me bitter, Grissom? It's the fact that up till a few years ago, we used to be really close. Then I must have done something to piss you off, because I've become persona non grata ever since. I've tried to leave, but you always pull me back in and I fall for it every time. After about a week, you push me away again and we're back to where we started. I'm tired of it, Grissom!"

He looked down at his hands. Though he knew this would come up at some point, and though he wanted it settled, it was the part of the conversation that he dreaded the most.

"Did you ever stop to think of why I can't be around you?" he asked, hoping he wouldn't have to spell it out.

"I heard all of it, you know," she said, surprising him with the sudden change of direction.

"You heard what?"

"The conversation with Lurie. I was in the observation room, and I heard all your reasons. They're bullshit, but if you believe them, then that's all that matters… I just need to know one thing."

"What?" he asked, terrified of the question.

"Were they the truth? Did you really mean what you said?"

He sighed, and closing his eyes, he nodded. "I, uh… I care about you, Sara, but I'd never be able to keep you happy. You'll expect more, and rightfully so, but that may be more than I can give you."

"Everything I want, you already have, Grissom."

"And that'll be great… for a while. Eventually though, you'll get bored, and you'll leave… I don't think I could handle that, Sara. That's why I pull away… But sometimes I just can't stay away."

"Then don't," she said in an almost pleading voice. "I'm right here. All you have to do is reach out and take me." She held out her hand, willing him to take it.

"I can't," he managed, though it pained him to say so.

He looked up to see his sadness and hurt mirrored in her eyes as she slowly withdrew her hand, and symbolically, her offer. It was a moment before she was able to speak.

"Then let me go."

With that, she quickly walked to the door, unlocked it and left.

----- ----- -----

"You know, Fayre, I was a little surprised when you called for a double date."

Fayre looked back at Aidia sitting in front of a vanity mirror in their new apartment. Looking absolutely gorgeous in a slinky red dress fitting her personality, she was pushing back a loose ringlet of hair so she could put in her other earring.

"Well, I was somewhat surprised that Nick asked you out," Fayre responded, all the while fussing with her own red waves. "But, then again, I'm surprised with many things."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me that you didn't expect Warrick to ask you!"

"Well, I don't know. I just-"

Fayre stopped to answer the incessant ringing of her cell phone.

"Hello?"

Aidia listened intently, pretending to smooth out a crease in her dress.

"Sara, hi… Well, sure. What is it? … Oh, honey, I'm so sorry! … Of course. We'll be right over… No, no trouble at all… No, really don't worry about it. Another time. They'll understand… Okay, bye." With that, Fayre hung up and quickly changed out of her dress.

"What are you doing?" Aidia asked.

"I'm canceling my date with Warrick."

"Why?" Aidia shrieked. "What just happened?"

"That was Sara. Something's got her very upset, but she won't talk about it over the phone. She needs someone right now."

It took a moment for that to sink in before Aidia asked, "What are you going to tell Warrick?"

"That something came up and a friend needed my help. He'll understand." Grabbing her purse and heading for the door, she heard Aidia groan and call after her.

"Wait, Fayre… Call Warrick and let him know that neither one of us can make it. I'll be ready in a sec."

Five minutes later, Fayre hung up with Warrick and looked up to see Aidia severely underdressed and heading her direction.

"Come on. Let's go."

----- ----- -----

As they walked down the hall to Sara's apartment, the door was opened to them immediately. The two women walked in to see the tear-stained face of their best friend staring back at them. Dropping their things, they pulled her into a bigger hug than they'd had in years.

Aidia was the first to let go. She headed for the kitchen while Fayre took over with Sara. Making some coffee and fixing a plate of veggie snacks, she brought them out into the living room, where the others were already curled up on the couch. As she joined them, Aidia looked into Sara's red-rimmed eyes and sighed.

"I'd know that look anywhere… It's a guy, isn't it?"

"Not just any guy," Sara sniffled, holding back the dam of tears that once again threatened to break forth.

"What happened?" Fayre asked.

"He called me into his office for that talk he was giving everyone today, and we got into the whole thing. I told him that I'm right here and all he has to do is take me… But he thinks that he won't be able to keep me interested because he's too old."

Fayre put on a little smile. "Didn't you ever tell him that we Harvard girls believe that all things get better with age?"

"We also believe that you tend to get A's when you do your professors…" Aidia chuckled darkly.

"You were the only one that held to that belief, Aidia," Fayre hissed.

"Oh, yeah… Well, it's a little late for that anyway."

Earning an elbow in the stomach for her musings, she held up a hand in surrender. "Sorry," she muttered. "But doesn't he realize how much you love him?"

"Really! I mean, there's just something about a guy who can quote Shakespeare and shoot a gun at the same time that makes you go weak in the knees…" Fayre smiled.

Sara sighed, her voice shaking as she spoke. "About two years ago, there was a case that really bothered everyone. The vic looked just like me, and it really freaked everybody out. When they caught the guy, Grissom was in on the interrogation. I was in the observation room watching, but he didn't know. He got into this conversation with the perp, a doctor who had killed his much younger nurse ex-girlfriend… I've never felt as much pleasure and as much pain as I did in those few moments."

"What did he say?" Aidia probed.

" 'Sad, isn't it, doc?'" Sara quoted, the words forever burned into her memory. " 'Guys like us. Couple of middle-aged men who've allowed their work to consume their lives. The only time we ever touch other people is when we're wearing our latex gloves. We wake up one day and realize that for fifty years we haven't really lived at all. But then, all of a sudden ... we get a second chance. Somebody young and beautiful shows up. Somebody ... we could care about. She offers us a new life with her...but we have a big decision to make, right? Because we have to risk everything we've worked for in order to have her. I couldn't do it... but you did.'"

Her voice cracked as she finished, the dam breaking loose.

"Oh, sweetheart, come here," Fayre cooed, pulling her close.

Aidia, however, seemed lost in thought. "It sounds like he's confused. He doesn't know what to do now that he's realized that he loves you, too."

"I've told him what to do, but he won't take the risk," Sara moaned into Fayre's shoulder.

"Then tell him again!" Aidia shouted, startling the others.

"Aidia…" Fayre whispered, shaking her head.

"No, look, I'm sorry, but she needs to hear this. Sara, I love you like the sister you are to me, but I can't stand to see you like this! Any man that can do this to you deserves to have his ass beat! But he also needs to know that you aren't letting go. Show him what he's missing, or so help me God, I'll do it for you."

Leaning forward, she kissed Sara on the forehead then got up and left, slamming the door behind her.

----- ----- -----

On her way down the hall, Aidia took out her cell phone and looked at the time. It was eight in the evening, three hours before shift. He'd be in his office by now. She dialed his number as she opened the door to her apartment.

"Grissom," came the answer.

"You asshole!"

"Aidia?"

"You abso-fucking-lutely incompetent scum sucking emotionally retarded pitiful excuse for a man! How _dare_ you?" she cried, pulling out her secret stash of whiskey and bringing the nearly full bottle to her mouth.

"Aidia, if you'll stop with the name calling, I might be able to figure out what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh, please! How can you sit there and pretend you don't know?"

"Aidia-"

"Don't 'Aidia' me!" she warned. "You killed her, Grissom! She's positively crushed. She's practically _throwing_ herself at you and you're too fucking stupid to do anything about it!"

"I can't!" he shouted back. "It can only end badly!"

"How do you know if you won't even try?" she asked acidly, taking another long swig from the whiskey bottle.

"It'll only hurt us both…"

"SHE LOVES YOU!" she screamed.

A louder silence was never heard than that which passed through the phone line for the next few moments.

"You know what, forget it. If you can't figure out that you're the only one she'll ever love, then you don't deserve her. But don't ever doubt this, Grissom: Sara is strong. She'll love you forever, just as you are, but if you don't do something about it, and soon, it'll be too late."

With that, she hung up and threw her phone onto the living room coffee table. Plopping down on the couch, she finished the rest of the bottle in one long chug and, letting the bottle drop to the floor, laid back and promptly passed out.

Five minutes later, Fayre walked in. Upon seeing her friend, she shook her head, pulled a blanket off a nearby chair, and covered Aidia. Throwing the bottle away and walking to her bedroom, she couldn't help but mumble to herself, "Why is it that I always end up taking care of everyone else?"

Reaching the bedroom, she closed the door behind her, hoping to get at least a few hours of sleep before the start of shift.

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* * *

**A/N:**_ Well, how am I doing?I hope it's not coming across as too over the top... As i said in the disclaimer, the characters of Fayre and Aidia are based off of myself and my dear friend Alathea. So far, they fit our personalitlies fairly well, and if anything I'm trying to stay true to that. But the argument scene between Grissom and Sara was particularly difficult. Please review!_


	6. Learning to Trust

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Chapter 6: Learning to Trust

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Assignments were strained as tension filled the air on several levels. Not much was really said other than relating facts on various cases in the works. When the teams split to continue their respective cases, Grissom pulled Fayre aside.

"Where's Aidia?"

"She wasn't feeling well tonight. She asked me to pass along the message…" she said distractedly.

Sensing that she was treading carefully, he asked, "Fayre, is there something wrong?"

She hesitated, then looked up and sighed. "I don't want to be put in the middle of this… but you should really talk to Sara," she answered cryptically. "I don't know all the details, and I don't want to. But I do want her to be happy… and right now, she's not."

Her beeper went off. It was a message from Warrick.

"I have to go," she whispered, avoiding his eyes as she walked away.

When she arrived in the lab, Warrick was waiting for her. Seeing that she was upset, he simply pulled her into a hug and held her close until he felt that she was ready to talk.

"I have something that will cheer you up," he said with a smile.

"And what might that be?"

"Remember our elevator lady? Well, I followed our lead on the rope that tied her to the cables and it led me to a suspect. Want to help me carry out the search warrant? I'll carry your kit…" he offered.

"Sure," she smiled weakly. "Anything to keep my mind busy… My kit's by the door."

----- ----- -----

Getting out of the Denali and walking to the lab parking lot after an exhausting two hours of warrant searches, Nick pulled off his vest and looked over to Catherine, who was doing the same.

"What's going on around here, Nicky?" she asked suddenly, mirroring his own thoughts.

"I wish I knew," he replied. "It's been all topsy turvy since Fayre and Aidia got here. Tensions have run extremely high and this thing between Grissom and Sara is getting out of hand… Did you see them at assignments?"

"Yeah. They wouldn't even look at each other and Sara looked like she was about to cry."

Nick furrowed his brow. "She looked pretty stern to me. Usual look of stone."

Catherine scoffed. "That was the point. That's the look she puts on when she doesn't want anyone to know that she's close to tears. She can't stand being vulnerable."

"You know her pretty well for someone who doesn't like her," he challenged.

She sighed. "I don't dislike her, Nick. We just butt heads. She's stubborn and idealistic."

"And you're not?"

"I didn't say that."

An astonished smile crept over Nick's face. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"NO!" she answered, a little too quickly.

"Yes you are… You think she's stealing your best friend… What must Fayre think of you?"

Catherine glared. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"I heard what happened when you were in that storm drain with Warrick."

"And what does that have to do with Fayre?"

He looked at her incredulously. "Didn't you know he asked her out? I thought Ms. Queen of Gossip would've figured that out by now… Aidia and I had a double date with them last night."

"You're going out with Aidia?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Yeah, but our big date last night was cancelled because the girls had some friend that needed their help."

"Shows what they think of you," she jeered, a look of contempt crossing her face.

"Stop it, Catherine!" Nick yelled. "What's gotten into you lately? Just 'cause you're pissed that things haven't worked out for you doesn't give you the right to take it out on them. Have you even taken the time to get to know them? 'Cause God knows they've certainly made the effort."

He watched as her face fell and her contempt turned to guilt. He sighed and continued, a little softer now. "Look, I know they have their flaws, but so does everyone else… I mean, Fayre's spent her life taking care of everyone else first, and Aidia's seen a lot of the same things that you have after working the dark side of Boston."

"Wait, Aidia's a dancer?"

"_Was_ a dancer… and she's been going through all this crap too. So has Fayre. We're all on the edge here, so don't act like you're the only one."

"How do you know all this?" she asked, shocked at how out of the loop she'd become.

"By talking to them. You know, Catherine, they're a lot like you. You might be surprised at what can happen when you're not such a bitch."

"Look, Nick, I know I'm not the only one going through all this stuff," she huffed. "I just don't like change when it isn't necessary."

"Not _necessary_? Where the hell have you been?" he asked in amazement. Sighing, he softened his tone even more and looked her in the eye. "I, for one, am glad they came. They brought things up that should have been addressed a long time ago. It's like they've magnified all the problems that were already there, lying just below the surface. Maybe things will finally ease up around here."

Giving her shoulder a slight squeeze as he passed, he walked into the building, leaving her to her thoughts in the cool desert breeze.

----- ----- -----

Grissom looked at his phone in indecision. He wanted to call her and straighten out their issues once and for all, but as his finger hovered over the "TALK" button, he felt the sting of her words the last time they'd spoken. He kept imagining a repeat of the slaughter of the night before, the vision of her pleading eyes burned into his memory. But he also heard Aidia's words playing over and over in his mind like a broken record, "She loves you." Finally, with all the courage he could muster, he succumbed to gravity and let his finger dial her number.

"Sidle."

"Sara… will you, uh… come into my office? We need to talk."

"Grissom," came her tired voice, "I just came out of the interrogation room… I'm done talking for the night."

"Please," was all the response he could manage.

The line was quiet for only a moment, but it felt like an eternity. He was tempted to ask if she was still there, but finally the reply came:

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

After they hung up, the minutes seemed like hours. He could sense that same feeling of nervous anticipation settling in his stomach that had shown itself when he'd announced the arrival of the two new CSI positions, only now it was a thousand times worse. He played over and over in his mind the words he most desperately wanted to say but hadn't been able to for the past few years, hoping he'd be able to say them now. But when she opened the door and took her spot on his doorframe, all the words evaporated, as they did nearly every time he saw her.

"What is it, Grissom?"

"Come in, Sara, please," he managed.

"Grissom, I'm tired, I just came out of the interrogation room where we arrested a guy for stringing up his girlfriend in the elevator cables of the Four Aces, and it's almost the end of shift. I still have to go home and check on Aidia before going to bed. What do you want?"

"I want you to come over here and sit next to me so I can talk to you."

Their eyes locked, pleading with one another. She stood in her place, every iota of her body begging to give into the magnetic pull between them, but at the same time, resisting for fear of more hurt and disappointment. The staring contest grew more intense, as she felt the pull grow stronger. She knew she couldn't hold out much longer, yet she stood her ground, leaning heavily on the doorframe for support, her senses reeling.

It wasn't long before she was drawn to his side, too weary to fight it anymore. Sitting in the chair next to him, she prepared her heart and mind for battle.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Now that he had her in front of him, he took a deep breath and looked for the words to introduce the topic that they'd both avoided for a reason. His silence filled the room until he was afraid it would consume them both.

"How are you?" he asked finally; only afterwards did he realize how lame it must have sounded.

"Oh, I'm fine, Grissom," she said, a sarcastic smile plastered on her face. "I've only recently discovered that the man I've loved for years really does care for me, but is too afraid to do anything about it. Other than that, life's just peachy."

He momentarily retreated into himself, saddened by the fact that he'd once again hurt her while trying to protect her. Looking up, he saw years of pain and frustration reflected in her deep, brown eyes. He hated himself for robbing her of her joy and silently resolved to end the hurt.

Taking her hands in his and holding them firm when she tried to take them back, he said, "I want to do something about it, Sara… I just don't know where to start."

"I told you that I knew what to do about this. You didn't trust me. Why should I trust you now?"

"I do trust you. I've _always_ trusted you."

"Then tell me something about yourself."

Her demand startled him. "What?"

"If you trust me, then tell me something about yourself. No one here really knows anything about you, except Catherine, and I'll bet she doesn't even know whether you have any brothers or sisters."

"I don't."

"Don't what?" she asked, thrown off track by his response.

"I don't have any brothers or sisters," he clarified.

"Oh… Well, your parents must've had their hands full."

"Not really. Mother was busy with her art gallery. I kind of hung out by myself a lot, not because she was neglectful but because she was doing what she had to to take care of us."

"What about your dad?"

It was her turn to hold firm when he tried to pull back, his eyes changing to a light misty blue. She could see the pain eating him alive as he looked back into the past he wished he could forget. Anger colored his voice as he spoke the words he'd never told anyone.

"I never really knew him. He was never around. He worked in the 'import/export business' and was always away. Then, when I was five, my parents divorced and he left. I never saw him again. He died when I was nine."

"Oh, Grissom… I'm so sorry." She scooted closer in her chair and ran her hand up his arm for comfort, but he hardened and pushed it away with his free hand.

"Don't be. He traded with Communist China. He was a traitor and a criminal who loved his job more than his family… I was used to spending time alone. Growing up in a deaf single parent household, the isolation isn't so daunting. I guess that kind of stayed with me over the years."

Suddenly she let go of him and, getting up from her chair, sat in his lap and pulled him into a hug. Putting her lips near his ear, she whispered, "You don't have to be alone anymore…"

His hands instinctively wrapped around her waist as she leaned into him. His senses reeled… He could feel her heart beat… He could see her body begin to shake… He could hear her breath come in sporadic staccato gasps and sniffles… Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen.

"Sara, honey, what's wrong?" he asked, pushing her back to look at her face, his anger and sadness regarding his past melting away into concern for her present.

"I just can't imagine what that must have been like… to be so alone. I mean, I grew up in a B&B with potheads for parents, but at least I had my brother… But, you… It's like, the more I heard about you before, the angrier I got, but now the more I learn about you – your past – the more I understand you… and I _hate_ what it's done to you."

He stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"I hate what it's done to you, too, Sara. I can't tell you how many times I've cursed myself for robbing you of your joy for life… But I want to fix that."

With a small smile, he surprised them both by leaning forward and kissing away the salty tear that trailed down her cheek. In that moment, he felt more alive than he had in his whole life and wondered why he had for so long denied himself this insurmountable pleasure. He lingered for only a moment but when he pulled away, he already felt the void left by their separation.

Sara's mind was reeling. She fought to keep her equilibrium as she opened her eyes to see him staring at her, as if waiting for a response.

"Is the room spinning?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded slightly and waited, not trusting his voice. It was a moment before Sara realized that he was waiting for her. Dropping her gaze, she said in a pleading voice:

"Don't let it stop…"

It was all the permission he needed. Leaning forward, he started with her cheek, and then slowly continued his exploration of her face, each kiss soft and sensual, gently brushing her skin. His hand cupped her neck, his fingers intertwining with her brown curls. He savored every moment, every touch, every sensation.

Sara was falling headlong into paradise. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at his very presence, and every touch sent shivers up her spine. She drank in his scent and basked in his attentiveness, letting him make up for his mistakes. When he reached her lips, she could no longer hold back. She began her own exploration, determined to show him just how much she loved him, her hand still resting on his chest.

As the moments passed, they became oblivious to all around them, lost in each other. Their comforting caresses became hurried and passionate, their hands roaming from their resting places, pulling each other closer while their arousals became more and more apparent.

Suddenly he pulled back, cupping her face and staring deep into the eyes that had held him captive for years. He held her there for a moment and simply stared.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, so softly that Sara wasn't sure she was intended to hear.

Her heart swelled. The first time he'd called her beautiful, she knew she wasn't intended to hear; the conversation with Lurie was thought to have been private. But to hear it directed at her from the man she'd almost given up on pushed her past happiness and straight into bliss. She tried to lean forward for another round of passionate explorations, but he shook his head.

"We can't continue this here…"

"Why not?" she asked, putting on a pouty face.

He smiled. "First of all, we're supposed to be working…"

"I finished my case. I'm on standby."

"… Second of all," he continued, ignoring the interruption, "the walls are made of glass, and third, my door is still open."

"So what, Grissom? I love you, and I don't care if the whole world knows it."

"Really, Sara?" His face turned serious. "What about the whole lab? Because that includes Carvallo, and if he finds out, we'll both lose our jobs. This job is all I have left if I lose you, and to not have either one would kill me…"

She took his hand in one of hers and let her other cup his cheek, as she had so long ago at some now distant crime scene, to wipe away the single tear now finding its way down his face.

"You're not going to lose me."

With that, she kissed him softly on the forehead to reassure him, and then got up from his lap and left.

----- ----- -----


	7. Favors and Fantasies

----- ----- -----

Chapter 7: Favors and Fantasies

----- ----- -----

Towards the end of shift, Nick bumped into Fayre on the way to Trace.

"Hey, Fayre, what's up?"

"Standby… It sucks arse."

He couldn't help but laugh at her Irish twist to the American phrase.

"What? What's so funny?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Nothing, nothing… um…" He looked for a change of subject to hide his smile. "How's Aidia?"

"I think she's still sleeping," she said with a frown. "She won't answer the phone. I had to cancel another date with Warrick so I can go straight home and check on her. She was pretty out of it when I left."

Nick's face turned serious. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Fayre smirked. "Oh, she'll be fine. I just want to be there when she wakes up."

"Well, look, if it's no big deal, then why don't you give me her address? I'll stop by after shift and make sure everything's alright, and you can go on your date with Warrick. Everyone wins."

"Oh, would you? That would be grand!" she squeaked. "Ta, Nick! You're a life saver!"

Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she ran to go find Warrick, leaving Nick with a smudge of lipstick on his cheek and a triumphant smile on his lips.

----- ----- -----

Grissom looked at the clock. It was 6:30, a half an hour before the end of shift. He sighed and sat back in his chair, slightly irked yet somewhat relieved at how quickly time flew tonight. There was no point in assigning anything, seeing as most members of the crew were exhausted and DNA was backlogged. It was actually a welcome reprieve. Rarely did crime let Vegas rest, with an average murder count of two per week and countless other petty thefts, chip scams, and the like. For once, the city seemed to be behaving itself.

He was somewhat surprised when he looked up to see Catherine standing in his doorway.

"Griss, can you tell me what the hell is going on around here?"

Rubbing his temples as he sat forward, he asked, "Am I always just expected to read minds?"

She smirked as she took a seat in one of the chairs directly across from him. "You don't need to read minds to see what's happening, Gil. Fayre just left with Warrick, to go out to breakfast I gather, and Nick left about fifteen minutes ago to check on Aidia, who I'm guessing will be perfectly fine when he shows up… Not to mention, a little birdie told me that you and Sara… well, you made up today."

She stopped to take a breath but laughed outright as Grissom's eyes grew wide and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"So it _is_ true. Nick wasn't seeing things… Oh, don't worry, I won't say anything." She held up her hands in surrender when he shot her a worried look. "You may want to say something to Sara though, because it's perfectly obvious by the smile on her face. She's been sitting in the break room for damn near an hour."

At that moment, his pager went off. Both leaned forward to read the message as it skittered across his desk:

"_My place or yours? Italian or Chinese? SS."_

Catherine smiled. "Sounds like you've got plans. I'll just leave you to it…" she got up to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "Just don't hurt her, Gil. It'll kill you both."

His brows furrowed. "I always sensed a lot of tension between you two… Why do you care about what happens to her?" he challenged.

"Because you do… and you're my best friend. But don't you even stat lecturing me on my relationship with Sara. You've got no stones to throw, mister."

As she left his doorway and walked away down the hall, Grissom reached for his cell and whispered, "Maybe just one," as he typed a response to Sara's page. It read:

_"Meet you at yours. I'll bring Chinese. GG."_

----- ----- -----

Half an hour later, he pulled into her apartment complex and parked next to her car. He sat in his Denali for a moment, gathering his wits and asking himself if this was what he really wanted.

'No,' said a nagging voice in the back of his mind. 'I'll never make her happy. She'll leave and I'll be all alone again… I can't take that much pain.'

'But I've already tasted happiness,' another voice argued. 'It would be worse to stop now and know what I'd be missing.'

'She'll still leave when she gets bored.'

"But I have to try," he said aloud, more determined now than ever. He grabbed the familiar little white Chinese take-out boxes and headed up to her apartment. Taking a deep breath, he knocked twice.

The moments passed. When she didn't answer, he began to worry and was about to knock again when he was startled by a tap on his shoulder and a whisper in his ear.

"Hey, stranger."

"God, Sara! You scared the shit out of me!"

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I just went down the hall to check on Aidia… but I ended up not going in."

"Why not? I thought you went to save the day," he teased.

"Trust me," she said, an evil grin spreading over her features. "No one in that apartment needs saving."

Determined not to read any deeper into that statement, Grissom shook his head and held up the food, as if to remind her of the reason he was there.

"Oh!" she cried, her hand flying to her face to hide her embarrassment. "Right, um… Let's go inside, shall we?"

A few moments later, they were seated on the couch, talking and eating with chopsticks. Little white boxes were spread around them as they crunched on egg rolls and slurped noodles.

"This is perfect," Sara said, her mouth full of sticky rice. Grissom gave her a sideways glance that made her swallow before continuing. "This is absolutely perfect… just the way I imagined it."

"What do you mean, 'just how you imagined'?" he asked, slightly afraid of the response.

"Us… This is just how I imagined us. Sitting on the couch at opposite ends, talking… just hanging out... No complications, no fighting, no interruptions… just us. It's my favorite fantasy."

Looking up to gage his response, she laughed at his raised eyebrow and half smirk.

"Oh, come on, Grissom! You can't tell me that you haven't had a few fantasies of your own over the years."

"Fantasies are usually erotic," he stated bluntly, avoiding the implied question, though he had to admit that just being here with her was fulfilling one of his favorites.

"Usually, but not exclusively," she challenged, putting on a wicked smile. "Besides, I said this was my _favorite_… I didn't say it was my only one."

"True… Very true." He wondered if the others she mentioned were anything like his own.

Sara smiled wider as he took another noodle between his chopsticks. "What's yours?"

"My what?" he asked, his body frozen in anticipation.

"Your favorite fantasy."

The noodle dropped to the floor. Grissom's eyes followed suit and she could feel him withdraw as he slipped into the depths of his pent-up emotions, trying to find the words to tell her what he'd so desperately wished he could for years.

"Grissom?" Concern colored her voice as her smile faded.

When he finally met her gaze, his eyes had shifted to a rarely seen deep blue. Knowing how emotional it must be for that type of reaction, Sara shoved the Chinese boxes out of the way and moved closer, silently vowing to be the friend he needed right now and to worry about the mess later.

"Grissom, talk to me," she pleaded.

His response was barely audible, but it rocked her to the core as she remembered their previous conversations:

"The one where I'm loved."

Her heart broke to hear that he thought himself unloved. Brought nearly to tears, she curled up next to him and laid her head on his chest, her arm wrapped around her waist as she whispered, "You _are_ loved… More than you know."

While she lay there, her mind drifted back to the many thousands of times she would have killed to be where she was right now. None of the scenarios had turned out like this. She played them out in her head. Each one was either preceded or followed by the same heated passion. Coming back to the present, she knew this time would be different, for it was born not of passion but of love.

Not until she semiconsciously wiggled closer did she notice his arm wrapped around her, not controlling or harsh, but gentle and loving, as if their roles were reversed. Reeling in the moment, she closed her eyes and let her senses take over, logging each sensation into her memory, storing each memory in her heart… The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he breathed… His heart pounding wildly like a drum… The repetitive yet comforting movement of his arm against her back and shoulder sending shivers down her spine…

The sound of her name in a hoarse whisper broke through her trance. She looked up at him lovingly, caressing him with her eyes.

He hesitated, then managed in a husky voice, "I'm sorry, Sara…"

She shook her head and silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"No regrets," she whispered, "and no looking back."

He gave a small smile; Sara Sidle had just given him a double entendre of her own. She gave him one of her famous "Sara smiles", making his heart skip a beat. The flush of her cheeks telling him that her desire was as greatas his own, he stood and scooped her up in his arms. Leading her to the bedroom, he looked deep into her brown pools and whispered, "No regrets," as he closed the door behind him.

----- ----- -----

* * *

**A/N: **_OMG! Finally got this chapter finished! I don't know what it is, but the scenes that you want the most to happen always seem to be the hardest to write... Thank you for all your reviews, they mean so much!_

**svcmc - **_Thank you so much for your kind words. That's one of my favorite parts of the story... In fact, the scene where Grissom finally shows Sara how he feels is my favorite part of EVERY CSI story that I read! I just hope that this chapter lives up to the rest of the story._

**Wiccamage**_ - I think we'd all be afraid of what would happen if we talked to our bosses that way... But Aidia is bold, and if something needs to be said, by God she'll say it. At the same time, though, something good has already come out of it, right? Chin up... I won't ruin things. _:-)

**G/S Investigator - **_OMG! That was the best review I've ever gotten! I've never really thought all that much of my writings before simply b/c it's just a hobby. But thank you so much! It warms my heart to know that I'm doing a good enough job that people actually think I have a future in writing. I hope to keep on writing as long as life allows._

_PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! As I've said before, it makes me so happy to see reviews in my mailbox! _


	8. To Stay or To Go

----- ----- -----

Chapter 8: To Stay or To Go

----- ----- -----

"Just a _little_ longer?" he begged as she began to gather her things gathered around the room.

"I can't, Warrick. I'm sorry."

"Come on, girl!" He cornered her near the bed.

She smiled. "I wish I could, but unlike _some_ people, I have to go to work tonight."

It had been two weeks since she and Aidia had arrived, and though Fayre knew that her stay was probably only temporary, she was loathe to leave so quickly. She held on as long as she dared, breathing in the scent of the man she had come to love, before reality set in and she loosened her arms from around his waist.

"I have to go."

Fayre managed to pull herself from his hold on her, and though she immediately felt the void left by his absence, she continued to back away, the smile spreading from her eyes to her lips as he followed. She was caught off guard when the bedroom door impeded her escape.

Warrick chuckled and leaned forward, putting his hands against the door on either side of her head so that she was trapped. She giggled at his crooked smile and sighed.

"Warrick…"

"Shhh… We have time," he whispered, silencing her with one passionate kiss that, when her stared into her eyes, soon became two… which led to three, quickly followed by four and five… When their hands began to roam and the passion turned to desire, Fayre moaned and dropped her head to his shoulder.

"Why do you have to make this so hard?" she whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lifting her chin and seeing sadness in her hazel orbs.

"I have to go…" She slipped under one of his arms and once again started collecting her things. "I should be packing the apartment."

"Wait, packing?" He turned, panic evident in his voice. "You not thinking of leaving, are you?"

"Well, honestly, I don't know," she said, opening the door and heading to the living room. When he followed and looked at her with fear in his eyes, she sighed. "Come on, Warrick… You and I both knew that this wasn't permanent."

He looked at her in amazement and huffed, "But don't you _want_ to stay?"

"Of _course_ I want to stay, but after everything that's happened, I can't think of a single reason why I should. It was wrong from the beginning, from my very first day… After everything that happened in the morgue…"

"That was _not _your fault," he stated emphatically.

Fayre shook her head. "Of course it was. I hadn't been in a morgue in three years. I wasn't prepared, and after talking to you, I certainly wasn't focused…" She sighed. "My best hope is to go back to New Orleans and see if they're still holding my job."

"But you have a job here!" Warrick shouted in desperation.

"That's just it, Warrick! I don't know if I do or not!" she barked back, matching his exasperated tone. "Haven't you been listening? Tonight Grissom makes his final recommendation to Carvallo as to whether Aidia and I stay or go… What did you think I was talking about?"

When he looked down and blushed in embarrassment for his faux pas, she gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening with sudden understanding. She ran to his side and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Warrick, no… I didn't mean, …" she sputtered. "Oh, God forgive me…"

"No, Fayre, that was my fault… I totally misunderstood," he managed, pushing her back and cupping her cheek to reassure her. "I get it now. You should go."

"No, Warrick, listen to me. I want you to promise me that no matter what happens today, you'll go to New Orleans with me on the next flight out, okay?"

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Okay… Mind telling me why?"

"Well, if I get the job, I'll need someone to help me move all my things here and get it into storage until I can find a place of my own. And I'll need to say goodbye to Gwynneth."

"And if you don't?"

"Then I can see if they're still holding my job for me and get settled again. You could take vacation time and stay for a while, see how things work on my turf…"

He gave her a sad smile. "And what happens when I have to come back to Vegas?"

She dropped her gaze to hide the lone tear trailing down her cheek. "Then at least I can pretend that _you're_ leaving _me_… and not the other way around."

It was his turn to stare wide-eyed in sudden understanding. He pulled her close.

"Fayre, you know better than that! I would never-"

"No, you don't understand," she sniffled, breaking free of his hold and bringing herself to her full height. "_That_ I could handle. I've dealt with people leaving me all my life… But to knowingly inflict that pain on someone else… I couldn't do it." Her now misty green eyes pleaded with him to understand.

Warrick sighed and met her gaze, at a loss for words. To see this unbelievingly beautiful and equally strong woman break down for the second time since they'd met frightened him like nothing else, especially since both times she was grieving for the sake of someone other than herself. Yet, as much as it scared him, it also only made him love her more.

Acting on instinct, he took her in his arms and simply stroked her hair in an effort to comfort her. When she finally let go of her pride and leaned into his body, he whispered calming words until her silent tears dried and her sniffles dissolved into sporadic hiccups.

"There… All better?" he asked as she pulled back to grab a tissue from the nearby countertop.

She nodded and looked to her watch. "Oh, God's toes! I need to leave… Where did I put my things?"

"Look, don't worry about it. You don't even know the results yet, so just go in and let me know as soon as you find out."

She stopped in her tracks. "But what if-"

"Fayre, Grissom would have to be a complete idiot to let either one of you go, and I think by now you've figured out that he is by no means an idiot. So go in and find out what's going on, and if he proves me wrong then I'll pack your suitcases myself."

She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before grabbing her purse and heading toward the front door of her apartment.

"Ta, Warrick. I love you."

----- ----- -----

Assignments were passed out quickly that night, with no preambles and no embellishments. It was evident that the whole team was aware of tonight's significance; sad and anxious glances were exchanged when it was announced that Fayre and Aidia were on standby until further notice and were to report to Grissom's office as soon as possible.

As expected, Grissom was the first to leave the conference room. The others stayed behind, sitting at the table in awkward silence. Sara was the first to speak.

"Where are you going to go if…?" She couldn't seem to finish the thought that was in the forefront of everyone's mind.

"Back to New Orleans for me," Fayre managed, her throat tight with emotion. "I have some unfinished business there… but after that, I'll probably head back to Ireland. I haven't been home in nigh ten years. It's time I went back to my roots."

Eyes turned to Aidia as she stared into nothingness, apparently lost in thought.

"I'm not sure what's in store for me. Life is a roller coaster, but I'm not sure whether I'm ready for another one of its surprises…"

Just then, she felt a buzzing at her hip and looked down to see Grissom beckoning her to his office. She glanced Fayre's direction and watched as she looked down to her own pager.

Looking to the others with uncertainty, they rose to leave. Receiving wishes of luck as they went, Aidia was lively enough to respond,

"Hey, she's already got all the luck she needs… She's Irish!"

Lightening the mood a bit, they smiled and headed down the hall. Reaching their destination and taking a deep breath, they knocked on his office door.

----- ----- -----

"Come in," came his voice from within.

When the two had closed the door behind them and sat in the chairs across from his desk, he looked up from his paperwork.

"I paged you ten minutes ago," he stated calmly, no trace of emotion on his face.

"We had something to take care of first," Aidia said firmly, determined not to be intimidated.

"Are you always going to put your emotions before your work?" he continued unflinchingly.

"When it involves people we care about and they're hurting, aye," Fayre huffed. "Unlike some people, I won't close myself off for the sake of the job. There are other jobs."

Aidia nodded her agreement.

"I'm glad you feel that way," he said. "Nick and Warrick will be relieved."

----- ----- -----

Ten minutes later, Warrick's phone rang.

"Brown," came the worried answer.

"Pack our suitcases, Warrick," Fayre sniffled through her still streaming tears, sitting in a borrowed Denali in the CSI parking lot. "I already booked our flight. It leaves in two hours."

"Fayre? What is it? I thought-"

"I'll be there is a few minutes," she interrupted. "I love you."

With that she hung up and looked out her car window to see a department Tahoe pull up. No sooner had the vehicle stopped than Nick and Sara tumbled out and ran to embrace Aidia in a bought of excited laughter. Smiling at the happy reunion, Fayre put her own SUV in gear, heading toward a future which she hoped would turn out better than her past.

----- ----- -----

The flight to New Orleans was quiet. Fayre slept most of the way, giving Warrick time to think. Not much had been said when she'd come home, which left him feeling unsure and worried. He'd been waiting for her, and seeing her tear-stained face, he'd immediately pulled her into a hug and asked what happened.

"Not now," she'd replied. "Just hold me…"

He'd done just that, knowing that the time would come but wishing she would tell him so he could make it better. When half an hour had passed in that position, they'd gotten up and finished packing before heading to McCarran and boarding the plane.

Now Warrick looked at the woman at his side. How peaceful she looked as she sat there sleeping, the Louisiana sunrise glowing in her red waves. He was pulled from his thoughts by the announcement over the intercom reminding the passengers to buckle their seatbelts for descent. He woke Fayre, startling her out of a dream. Joining hands and intertwining fingers, they prepared themselves for a long day.

It was 8:30 am by the time they'd left the airport, drove to Fayre's apartment, unloaded their suitcases, and gotten something to eat. Now they were in Fayre's car, on the way to the NOPD and Crime Lab.

"You'll love it here," she said with a smile.

Something inside Warrick snapped. He turned in his seat and faced her. "I'll love it more when you tell me what's going on," he said in a firm and even tone.

"I told you. I want you to see how things work on my turf."

"That's not what I meant."

She sighed. "I know… Look, what did I ask you when I came home last night?"

"Fayre…"

Stopping at a light, she turned and looked him square in the eye. "Warrick, I know this is difficult for you to understand right now, but please for my sake, just answer the question."

The light changed and she turned her attention back to the road.

Warrick heaved a sigh of his own and gazed out his window with world-weary eyes. "You asked me just to hold you."

"And you did… Why?"

"Because I love you… and I knew you'd tell me eventually."

Pulling into the NOPD parking lot, she turned off the engine and faced him. "Can't you trust me now for the same reason?"

Not waiting for an answer, she gave him a kiss on the forehead, then got out and headed for the building, waiting for him at the door. When he followed a moment later, she smiled and led him to the visitor's desk to get an ID. That done, she led him back through the labs.

"Wow. Your lab is almost as advanced as Vegas."

"Fifth in the nation," Fayre boasted. "Not as good as second, but close enough to get the job done right."

Suddenly, a squeal from behind them made Warrick jump. They turned to see a young woman in a lab coat running toward them.

"Fayre! I'm so glad you're back!"

Fayre threw her arms open to embrace the chipper brunette. "Dia duit, a Casie," she crooned. "How are you?"

"Excellent. Remember that case you were working the night before you left?"

"Aye! I remember Ching."

A confused look crossed Warrick's face. Fayre turned to explain.

"If you think a frozen corpse in the desert is strange, try a Chinese dental torture victim floating in the bayous. We couldn't ID him yet, so we called him Ching." Turning back to Casie, she asked, "What about him?"

"Well, it turns out, while you were gone, they found three more victims just like him. We ID'd them last week and then yesterday, Detective Wells arrested the murderer… with Gillian's help, of course."

Warrick's eyes once again begged for translation.

"Gillian's the supervisor. A lot like Grissom, except her obsession is culture and linguistics, not bugs. Comes in handy in such a big tourist town." Turning back to her old friend, Fayre smiled. "Let me guess, Casie… You provided the case breaker DNA for suspect ID."

She grinned ear to ear. "As always! What can I say? I'm good at my job."

This brought a chuckle out of Warrick. Looking at Fayre with a sparkle in his eyes, he said, "Sounds kinda like Greg, doesn't she?"

"He _speaks_!" Casie feigned shock.

"From time to time," Fayre laughed. "Casie, this is Warrick Brown, A/V specialist and boyfriend from Las Vegas. Warrick, this is Casie Adler, resident DNA tech/busybody and friend of my sister's." After the two shook hands, Fayre continued. "I don't want to ruin the party, but if Gillian sees you out here instead of in that lab, she'll kill you."

"Nah," Casie played it off. "She loves me… Besides, it's nearly the end of shift. I'm just cleaning up."

"Yeah, well, you know how keen her intuition is… She can smell slacking off a mile away."

As if on cue, a voice came from a nearby office that made Warrick jump.

"Casie! Back to work!"

With that, Casie's eyes grew round as saucers, and turning pink, she scurried back inside her lab. A moment later, she stuck her head out the door.

"By the way, that favor you asked? Taken care of."

"CASIE!"

"Bye!" The door closed with a thud as she quickly disappeared into the lab to finish her duties.

Warrick chuckled. "A _lot_ like Greg."

"Aye. She's a spitfire, alright," Fayre smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to my work station."

As they walked through the maze of a building, Warrick was amazed at how many people called out to Fayre, popping their heads out of nearly every room to welcome her back. When they finally reached a small layout room towards the back, he voiced his observations.

"You sure seem to know a lot of people."

"Oh, we're a closely knit group. We make it our business to know everything we can about each other, not just for safety reasons, but because we're a family."

"I can see that," he said, glancing around the room. It looked similar to the layout lab in Vegas, with a large lighted table in the center and cabinets lining the walls. A desk was tucked into a corner. Mostly, though, the room was bare but for some pictures on the wall featuring Fayre with different members of the lab at parties and hangouts. "Looks like you got around."

"It helps to know each other really well, especially working here. Gillian knows who would do better on each case, knowing our backgrounds and specialties."

"Grissom hasn't _quite_ mastered that yet."

"I've noticed, but it would really serve him well if he tried it. New Orleans is a lot like Vegas: big tourist attraction. We get people from everywhere, so it helps to have a few foreigners on the team. That's why Gillian is such a help. With a specialty in culture and linguistics, she can better understand and connect with people."

Warrick shook his head. "Another of Grissom's downfalls: people."

"But he does understand culture, and that's important. Anyways, this is it. I spend a lot of time in here… Sorting out garbage from a scene, examining skeletons… that sort of thing."

"It seems a little bare," Warrick said, looking around again.

"That's because I had Casie pack most of my things in this box." She pulled a large cardboard box out from behind the desk. "I just have to take down these pictures. Could you help me?"

His eyes narrowed as she started adding the photographs to the pile inside the box.

"Fayre…"

"What? I thought they'd look nice sitting on your mantle. Unless you'd rather me stay in the apartment with Aidia-"

She was cut off as Warrick grabbed her round the middle and twirled her in the air like a little girl before setting her down and simply staring.

"You're really staying?" he asked disbelievingly, his usually somber green eyes sparkling.

She smiled, her own hazel orbs shining. "Aye. We start next week. Grissom said that Carvallo would have his ass served to Ecklie on a silver platter if he didn't keep us around."

He pulled her close and kissed her like never before, fireworks exploding behind her eyelids. He placed his hands on either side of her face, deepening the kiss further and sending shivers through her that started at the base of her neck and traveled to her toes, causing her to stumble when he pulled away.

Regaining her balance, she slowly opened her eyes and said in a low voice, "Come with me. There's something I want you to see."

Grabbing her box in one arm, she took him by the hand and led him out of the lab, saying goodbye to Casie on the way out. They got into the car, and soon they were out on the road heading toward the river and into the Louisiana sunshine.

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**A/N: **_Okay, so how'd I do? I told you if I had my way, Warrick would be mine! _:-)  
_Anyway, for any of you wondering out there, "Dia duit, a Casie" means "Hello, Casie" in Irish Gaelic. Of course, if you wanted to say that to anyone, you would repace the name with whomever you are speaking to. The pronunciation is "DEE-uh git, uh ... ." Have fun with that tidbit! And, once again, PLEASE REVIEW!_


	9. Silver and Gold

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Chapter 9: Silver and Gold

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Although the glittering lights and noisy crowds of the Las Vegas Strip meant frolic and freedom for others, it held no joy tonight for Aidia. As she wandered through the millions of tourists down the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard, her mind was racing down another path: Memory Lane.

She thought back on the past ten years after Harvard; how she'd at first reveled in her newfound freedom, and later, almost wished for the darkness to consume her once again. Just as Grissom had warned Sara, her supervisor had warned her: if she became too emotionally involved, soon all the victims would become special and she'd burn out. Now, as thrilled as she was to be a part of this closely knit Las Vegas team, some things were just too close for comfort and she couldn't help wondering if this was what she wanted anymore.

Aidia stopped walking and looked up to find herself in front of the strip club that they'd investigated just last week. Somehow, it looked different in the "dark" of nighttime Las Vegas. She walked a little further toward the side of the building and noted the many drastic changes since she'd last seen the place. The yellow crime scene tape had been torn down; the cleanup crews were gone; the alleyway where the once beautiful young dancer had been dumped was once again filled with the shadows and darkness that accompanied the lifestyle. Though it was a warm night, Aidia shivered as her brain flooded with memories of her tainted past. She turned to walk away but was suddenly startled as a figure crept out from the shadows.

"Hello, Aidia." It was Catherine. "I thought I might find you here."

"What are you doing here?"

Catherine shrugged. "Nick and I finished our case. B&E gone bad… Homeowner should get off with self-defense, but you know how the system is…" When Aidia nodded silently, Catherine continued. "Anyways, when Nick couldn't find you, I figured I knew where to look."

"But how? _I_ didn't even know I'd end up here."

"Because I do the same thing," Catherine cut her off. She sighed and looked up at the tacky neon sign that had glittered to life since they'd been here. "Staring my old life in the face every time another showgirl ends up dead… knowing that if I'd stayed, it could've been me." She looked Aidia in the eye. "That's why I thank God I have Lindsey. After getting out of that whorehouse and into this job, I've seen the worst in people. But at the end of the day, I get to go home to a beautiful little girl, and I know… She's the best thing that ever happened to me… You have to find that, Aidia. That _one_ thing that makes it all worthwhile."

Aidia looked down and nodded. A moment later, she glanced up at Catherine with a sparkle in her eye and asked, "You were a dancer, too?"

She chuckled. "If that's all you got out of that whole shpeal, I am clearly not doing my job!"

Laughing together, the two walked back down Las Vegas Blvd, unphased by the lightshow that held the crowd in awe, captivated instead by the many odd similarities in their lives which now formed an unbreakable bond.

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Fayre stopped at the bottom of a small hill. Getting out of the car, she took a moment to gather her strength before facing the demons that lay ahead.

When she was ready, Warrick followed her up the hill, taken aback by the view at the top. Sitting to the left was a small chapel overlooking the river, a bell tower gracing the top of the slanted roof. A gated cemetery sat to the side under the shadow and protection of a large cross, giving the entire setting a sense of peace. He turned to see Fayre kneeling under a large oak, a somber look on her face as she looked out over the river.

"This is where I come when things get overwhelming." As she spoke, her eyes never left the river's gentle flow. "Gwynneth loved it here, too. When she… died… the chapel performed the service, and I had her buried here."

Only then did Warrick notice the headstone in the shape of a Celtic cross sitting beside her, the words "Beloved Sister" carved above the phrase, "Make New Friends and Keep the Old, One is Silver and the other Gold."

"Words to live by."

His soulful voce broke her trance and she turned to face him. Following his gaze, she nodded in understanding.

"_She _certainly did. It was one of her mottos… Warrick, how am I going to leave her?"

Wiping a tear from her cheek, he replied, "By following her advice. You'll always have gold, but Vegas is full of silver just waiting for discovery." Standing, he held out his hand. "Come back with me."

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A week later, Sara opened the front door and immediately, her sense of smell went into overdrive.

"Oh my gosh, Grissom, what is that smell?"

"Vegetarian pizza in the oven," he said, smiling as he closed the door to his townhouse behind her. "In honor of the new additions to the team, I thought we would celebrate."

After setting her purse on the couch, Sara was startled when she turned to see the table set for a few more than two.

"Why are there so many table settings? … Grissom?"

As if in answer, the doorbell rang.

"Sara, could you get that please?" came his voice from the kitchen.

But before she could answer, the door opened and a confident Catherine walked in, followed by Nick and Aidia.

"Griss, your door was open… Oh, hello Sara." Catherine seemed surprised to see her. "Didn't think anyone else was here yet."

Giving hugs to Nick and Aidia, Sara asked, "How many are we expecting?"

Once again, the doorbell rang in answer. She opened the door to let in the nightshift's secret weapon, Dr. Al Robbins, trailed by Jim Brass and Sofia Curtis. Greg wasn't far behind, and Mia Dickerson brought up the rear. Greetings were called from across the apartment, and soon the living room was filled with the sounds of laughter and friendly conversation. A few moments later, Fayre and Warrick joined the crowd, a sparkle in their eyes and smiles on their faces.

Sara was mesmerized. Not since the Strip Strangler case had Grissom allowed this many people into his home, and yet now, as they all laughed and simply enjoyed each other's company, it seemed as if they all belonged there.

His voice came in a whisper behind her. "I'm sorry, Sara." Pulling her into the kitchen, he continued. "I didn't mean to spring this on you, but-"

She smiled. "Don't apologize. I was surprised, that's all… Besides, I think this was just what everybody needed: a chance to celebrate something unrelated to death."

That wasn't what I was talking about…"

"Oh." She looked down and blushed in embarrassment. When she looked up again, she realized that his cheeks were just as flushed as her own as he fought to find the words. "What _were_ you talking about?" she prompted.

Grissom hesitated, fear locking the words in his throat. Looking down at her, he realized: God, he loved her… He couldn't risk losing her to his fear once again.

Sara stood and watched the inner battle raging in him. What could he want to say that could cause such torment? She'd never seen him so flustered… Okay, well maybe she had, but that situation hadn't turned out quite liked she'd planned it, and only afterwards did she realize that asking your boss out to dinner was not the smartest move you could make. But now he was battling his _own_ emotions, his _own_ advances, and she watched with the eyes of a scientist.

Her eyes held him captive, the brown orbs boring into his soul, purging him of his fear and pulling out the words.

"Will you stay here with me?"

Those same brown eyes that had scrutinized him a moment before now opened wide in surprise and turned away, a shy smile spreading to her lips.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head and grabbing two wine glasses to take out to the group. "That was stupid. I sound like a five-year-old asking his crush to hold hands…" He started walking toward the living room.

"Grissom, wait." Sara stopped him outside the kitchen entrance, turning him from the clear view of the living room. She threw her arms around his neck and whispered, "I'd love to."

Looking into his own captivating blue eyes for a split second, she kissed him with more love and adoration than ever thought possible, making everything around them melt away. In that moment, he knew that he'd been put on this earth to love her. He drank in the feel of her against him, the feel of her, and the sound of her soft whimper as she too reveled in this ecstasy.

The need to breathe drove them apart but it was the silence that broke the spell. Both slowly turned to see their ten guests staring in disbelief and pure joy at the scene before them. It wasn't until Catherine reached over and closed Greg's jaw that sound found its way back to the room.

"Well, I see that you two have finally talked things out," Aidia said brightly as she walked over and took the wine glasses from Grissom's hand. Looking at Sara, she smiled darkly. "But by the looks of things, you've also figured out that talking is overrated."

While Sara and Grissom blushed and Catherine poured the wine, Aidia pulled the embarrassed couple over to join the group. As they ate and talked, it was clear that the graveyard group had not only grown larger, it had grown closer. Looking around at the smiles and laughter, they could see that their silver had indeed turned to gold.

Passing around their chosen poison for the night, Catherine lifted her glass. "To Aidia and Fayre, now _officially_ graveyard family," she toasted.

Glasses clinked as the group joined in the toast.

"To new friends," Aidia laughed, looking at the smiling faces around her.

"To new love," Warrick added.

Sara smiled at Grissom. To new life."

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**THE END**

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A/N: _Thank you all so much for your reviews! This story has been so much fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I look forward to whatever comes next!_ **

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